Hope
by ashes at midnight
Summary: A sweet little story about Rebekah dealing with her new role as Aunty Bex. Set between seasons 1 and 2. Also features characters from The Vampire Diaries.


**Disclaimer: The characters of _The Vampire Diaries_ and _The Originals_ belong to L J Smith, the CW, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson. The plot belongs to me. No profit is being made from this work of fanfiction.**

**Dedication: To my friends Samantha and Tori, whose infinite fangirling of Rebekah Mikaelson inspired me to write this.**

**A/N: Just a small scene set at the end of season 5/1 that I thought would be fun to write about. Does not take into consideration the events of season 6/2. Read, review but most of all enjoy.**

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**Hope**

After over a thousand years as an immortal vampire, patience should come easily. But, when all it took was a smile and a look to get what she wanted it was not something Rebekah Mikaelson excelled at. Having to wait was not something she did often.

She was used to getting her way, quickly, and if she didn't things often turned bloody. She was quick to anger, her temper rivalled her older brother Klaus's, but unlike her brother she was also quick to forgive. Her moods changing as swiftly as the wind, and could be just as destructive.

So, spending Friday night leaning against the door of her car in the middle of grassy field in the middle of nowhere was not her idea of a good time. The fact she had been waiting for close to an hour didn't help matters.

The only reason she hadn't gotten in her car and driven away was because she was waiting for her brother (who would pout for a century if she didn't show), and her newborn niece. Nothing, would prevent her from meeting the newest member of their dysfunctional family.

Earlier that night, when she had gotten a call to meet him here she knew things had finally hit the fan. Her brother had been out of his mind with terror – something she hadn't seen from him since the 20's when their father had found them in the French Quarter and tried to kill them.

Something was terribly wrong. "Klaus, calm down," she had snapped into the receiver as she stepped out of the Allure nightclub in Baton Rouge. "What's going on?" she'd asked as she strode down the street, her sky-high heels clicking on the pavement.

"Where are you?" he'd growled into the receiver. She imagined his eyes had been a bright yellow, his fangs visible when he talked.

"I'm in Baton, if you must know. What's with the attitude?" She'd snapped angrily, crossing the street without looking. A car skidding to a stop seconds before hitting her. The driver leaning on the horn angrily.

"Our dear old mother is back from the grave, again, and guess who she has her sights set on destroying?"

A chill raced down Rebekah's spine. "The baby," she'd gasped as she flipped the driver the finger and continued down the street.

"Little Sister, your intelligence amazes me," Klaus had said dryly.

"But…it's too soon, Hayley still has a few weeks to go."

"She was born last night. She's fine," he'd assured her, his voice doing anything but.

Dreading the answer to her next question Rebekah had taken a deep breath to calm her nerves. "What else happened?" She'd asked as she pulled her keys from her bag and unlocked her car. Sliding into the driver's seat of her brightly coloured, red convertible.

"The Witches tried to sacrifice her to their ancestors. It didn't work, we got her back, but they slit Hayley's throat,"

Rebekah had hissed in anger as she turned the ignition of her car, the engine purring to life. "When I get my hands on those bloody witches I'm going to kill them," she'd snapped.

"Calm down, Rebekah. She's a Hybrid," he'd said, trying to calm her. "She still had the baby's blood in her womb when she died."

Horrified, Rebekah had gasped. "Oh no, How is she taking it?"

"Hard, a wolf's temper doesn't bode well for a newbie vamps emotional state," he'd said.

"Oh, Klaus. I'm sorry."

"I don't care about Hayley," he had snapped. Reminding Rebekah that this was her brother she was talking too. "I care about my daughter."

"You said the ritual didn't work!"

"That doesn't mean Esther still doesn't want to kill her. If she kills my baby she gets access to the ancestral magic of the Witches of New Orleans, and will again become one of the most powerful witches in the world. I will die before I let that happens, again."

"She always did have a flair for the dramatic," Rebekah had muttered dryly.

"I need you to do something for me," he said slowly.

Rebekah sighed softly, she put the car in gear, glanced in the rear vision mirror and pulled out of the parking space. She tucked the phone under her ear and switched gears, speeding down the street and taking the turn wide as she headed towards the highway that would take her to New Orleans. "What do you want me to do?" she'd asked, steering with one hand and switching gears with the other.

"I want you to take her."

"Who?"

"My daughter. Little Sister, I want you to take her away from here, far away. I want you to keep her safe. Can you do that?"

Rebekah remained silent. She didn't know what to say. In her silence Klaus thought the worst and he spoke again. "Rebekah, please."

"Always and forever," she said.

Klaus paused, and she knew he smiled on the other end. "Always and Forever. I'll meet you in the fields behind the plantation at midnight." he said, giving her a few hours to drive to the portside city.

"Ok," she'd whispered. "I'll see you then."

"Rebekah?"

"Yeah?"

"Buy a car seat."

"Of course you twat, I'm not an idiot."

. . .

Cradling his newborn baby in his arms Klaus closed the back door of his black SUV and walked towards his sister. Rebekah pushed herself away from her car and took a step forward, holding out her arms as she brother stopped in from of her.

"Can I hold her?" she asked softly, looking down at the tiny, sleeping newborn.

"Sure," he said quietly, as if he wasn't too sure he wanted to give her up.

Rebekah gave her brother a knowing smirk, before putting her arms around the baby and gently lifting her from her brother's hold. She cradled the baby against her chest, carefully supporting her neck as she got comfortable. She was so small. Tiny nose, and pink lips, with just a little tuff of blonde hair on the top of her head.

She smiled again. "Oh, Klaus, she's beautiful. What's her name?"

"Hope," he said proudly. "We've decided on Hope."

Rebekah nodded her approval. "I still can't believe you're actually going through with this," she whispered, "I've never know you to give up something you wanted."

"I don't have any other option," he snapped back angrily. "I can't defend her against the witches, the best thing to do is to let her go, hide her, keep her safe."

"You mean the best thing you can do for her, is to get her away from you." Rebekah said evenly, looking her brother in the eyes.

He stared at her for a few seconds. "Yes," he said quietly, looking away.

Rebekah smiled. "You're doing the right thing, Nic. This isn't something to be ashamed off."

Klaus smiled ruefully and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Little Sister. Give me a call when you find a witch, and I expect regular updates. Hayley will kill me if she doesn't get a new photo at least once a day."

"She's not going to do anything but sleep, cry and poop for a while Klaus," she said, amused.

"I know, I just…" he paused let that thought go. "Take care, little sister." He said stepping forward and giving Hope a final kiss on the forehead, kissed Rebekah on the cheek and turned around, walking back to his SUV. He stopped at the door, raised his hand in a final farewell before getting in and driving away.

Rebekah sniffed and wiped at her eyes before the tears ran down her cheek, amazed that her brother had actually put another's needs before his own. Never, in a thousand years could she remember her brother doing something he did not want to do. He did what he wanted, and damn anyone who got in his way. Even herself and her brother Elijah weren't free of his wrath should he so choose to turn it upon them.

In her arms the baby squirmed and gurgled. "Shh, little one," Rebekah whispered rocking her arms to sooth the little bundle. The tail-lights of her brother's car had faded into the distance, so she turned around and headed to her own.

"Don't worry, Hope," She said, looking down at the baby in her arms. "I'm going to take very good care of you. I'll make sure you get to eat as much as you want, we'll stay in the very best hotels, and I'll choose all the pretty dresses." It was a tiny car, bright red and ostentatious, not a car you would expect to see a baby capsule. But she didn't give a damn about her image when the safety of her niece was concerned.

The baby had quietened again, and Rebekah was carefully as she placed the little bundle in the capsule in the back seat of her car. She pulled a warm blanket out of her bag and wrapped it around the baby, then clipped a toy to the strap securing the capsule in place. Hope sighed in her sleep, which brought a smile to Rebekah's lips. "Let's get this show on the road shall we?"

She closed the car door softly, carefully not to wake the baby before getting into the driver's seat. She started the car and took off slowly, checking the rear-view mirror to make sure the baby was sleeping soundly in the back. She smiled and continued along the dirt track before entering the main road. The road was deserted as she drove away from her brother's for the second time that year.

She was starting to feel quite spoilt.

. . .

The drive north took its bloody time, she had to stop every few hours to feed the baby. If she had been driving by herself she would have kept driving throughout the night, and the morning, and the afternoon.

As it was, she stopped every night, sometimes she could get good accommodation, and the hotel room was classy, and fitted her glitzy lifestyle, but as she drove through the Appalachians, glitzy hotel's weren't something you came across often. But the motels were clean, and the room service always left her feeling full afterwards.

It didn't take long until she got into a nightly routine. She would carry the baby in a sling on her chest, her bags in her arms. She would normally put the baby down on a mat on the floor as she set up a fold-out cot. Within an hour of arriving in the room Hope would have been changed, fed, bathed, and put to bed. Then she would order room service, compel the man or woman who came with her food, take their blood, before sending them on their merry way.

It took almost a week before she saw the sign that indicated she was entering the state of Virginia, and then another day before the winding, forest highways showed her the turn off to Mystic Falls.

The baby started to cry as she passed the welcome sign. "Ssh darling," she soothed before a sudden sharp pain stabbed her through the middle. She gasped in agony and skidded to a stop. She looked down, blood sweeping down her leg from a wound to her stomach. Pain flared again and she cried out, doubling over and holding her middle as she screamed.

"What the hell?" she cursed breathlessly.

She put the car back in gear and turned the car around. The pain was almost unbearable now and in the back Hope was crying. Whether of not she could sense Rebekah's fear, or if she was hurting too Rebekah didn't know, but she couldn't stop to find out. As soon as she passed the sign marking the boundary of Mystic Falls the pain stopped. Shocked, Rebekah gasped and glanced down at her stomach again. She pulled the car over to the side of the road, stopped the car and got out, wrenching open the back door and pulling the baby up into her arms. "It's ok, it's ok." She whispered, hugging Hope tightly, as she checked for any wounds. But the little girl seemed fine, no marks or blemishes, and there was no blood to be seen.

Rebekah took a deep breath in relief and started crying. She turned around and settled down on the grass next to her car. Slowly Hope started to quieten as Rebekah rocked her. It took a while, but eventually she calmed, leaning her head on Rebekah's shoulder and slowly falling asleep.

As gently as she could manage, Rebekah got to her feet and put Hope back in the baby capsule, making sure she was settled and asleep before pulling out her phone and called Matt. The only person in Mystic Falls she knew who wouldn't hang up on her immediately.

The phone rang a few times before his voice came over the speaker. "Rebekah? What's up?"

She smiled into the receiver. It was nice to hear from her friend. "Hi Matt, I have a bit of a problem."

He hesitated, and she knew he was wary. "What about?" he asked.

"I just tried driving into Mystic Falls."

"What? Shit, are you ok?"

'I'm fine, what the bloody hell is going on?"

He sighed loudly. "We've had some Witch problems," he said. "A group of Travelers came here and did a spell with Elena and Stefan's blood to stop Witch magic – I don't really understand it."

"Magic made us into Vampires," she said.

"I know, without it you'll all be dead. When you tried entering Mystic Falls you came under the spells range, and it started working against you."

Rebekah huffed angrily. "Now what am I going to do!" she raged, "where are you?"

"We're at Caroline's dad's log cabin, down by the lake, do you need directions?"

"Yes, please, that would be great. I need to talk to everyone."

"OK," he said.

He relayed the directions, which were easy enough. She said goodbye and put her phone in her pocket before getting in the car and heading back the way she had come. She followed Matt's directions and soon found herself parked in front of a quaint log cabin overlooking a pristine lake.

She smiled and parked the car in front of the cabin. She got out and grabbed her bag before opening the back door and lifting Hope into her arms. She closed the door with her hip and walked around the car, heading towards the cabin.

Stefan stood at the entrance, leaning against the doorjamb. His eyes widened when he saw the baby in her arms.

She walked up the stairs, "There is a diaper bag in the trunk, can you get it for me please?" she said.

He stared at the baby in her arms or a few seconds. "Sure," he said agreeably before walking past her and out into the sun to retrieve the bag.

She smiled and walked through the doorway. Nobody owned this place anymore, not after Caroline's dad had passed away. It went to Caroline, who was a vampire. Vampire could enter another's place of residence without an invite.

Elena and Jeremy looked up from the TV they were watching as she walked into the living room. Alaric and Matt were sitting at the dining room table, papers and books spread out before them.

Jeremy frowned. "Well that's awkward, when did you get knocked up?"

"She's not mine you idiot. You know vampires can't have children."

"She's Klaus's" Tyler said, walking in from the Kitchen, Caroline trailing in behind him, "and Hayley's."

"Holy crap," Caroline muttered.

"Why are you taking care of her?" Elena asked.

"It's a long story, but the short answer is Esther want's to kill her." Rebekah said in a cheerfully sarcastic tone.

"Her own grandchild?" Stefan said in horror, walking in behind her, the diaper bag over his shoulder. He put it down on the floor next to the couch.

Rebekah nodded and looked down at the baby, smiling at her and rocking her in her arms. "There is no limit to my mother's madness in her quest for power. Hope's death would allow my mother to gain full access to the New Orleans Witches ancestral power. Over 300 years' worth of magic's built in a city that prides itself on family. I shudder to think of what that extra power would give her."

She took a deep breath, "and what she would do with it."

"I thought your mother was dead. Klaus killed her." Elena said, confused. She wasn't the only one. Alaric was looking pissed, and so was Stefan, who was normally the calm one.

"He did, but she lived on in the other side." Rebekah tried to explain it to them. "She possessed another body, a young girl who was a part of a Harvest Ritual early last year. She's back."

"Wow," muttered Jeremy, "and I thought my life was weird."

Rebekah snorted in amusement. "After being on this earth for so long nothing shocks me now."

"Are you going to be ok?" Matt asked, unexpectedly.

Rebekah blinked in shock. She didn't really expect any of them to show concern for her. She didn't exactly leave on a high note, and when she was here they weren't exactly friends. The relationship she had with these people was complicated.

A smiled, grateful. "Yeah, I'll be fine," she said, trying to reassure him. "I've survived this long. I'm worried about Hope, that's all. I was hoping to talk to Bonnie about doing a…what?" she said stopping at the expressions on their faces.

"Bonnie's dead," Elena said, her voice shaking.

"What?" Rebekah gasped in horror. She had never much liked the Bennett witch, her line was responsible for her mother getting the power she had always craved, for her brother's Finn and Kol's death and for that ancient spell performed so long ago that made them the monsters they were now. But she had admired the girl's spunk. No, her horror was for Hope, how was she about to get a cloaking spell now?

"What happened?" she asked.

"Did Klaus tell you Bonnie became the Anchor?" Caroline asked, sitting down on the couch next to Elena.

Rebekah nodded, "He mentioned it. I didn't think much of it. I have no interest in the Other Side."

"You should," Stefan said, "It's where all Supernatural beings go when they die. Witches, Travellers, Vampires."

"I know all that," she snapped, "what does it have to do with Bonnie's death?"

"It was imploding, it started when the Travellers overwhelmed her to bring Markos back from the dead." Stefan explained, "After that things started to change, the Other Side became unstable, the balance was falling. People started disappearing."

"My sister, Vicky was the one who warned us," Matt said, "she got taken by the darkness, we still don't know what happened to her."

Rebekah frowned in sympathy, this time she meant it. "What do you mean disappeared?" she asked.

"They were just…gone." Stefan said sadly.

Rebekah swallowed the lump in her throat. That sounded ominous. After so many years, you would think that death had no fear for her. But the longer she stayed alive, the more she craved it, to the point that the unknown of death scared her greatly.

She had been placating herself with the knowledge that the Other Side was there waiting for her when the time came. Knowing that it had vanished, along with everyone there sent a shiver down her spine.

"So Bonnie's gone?" she whispered sadly.

"Yes," Stefan said, looking away. "Damon's with her."

Rebekah's eyes widened and she sat down in the only free chair, clutching Hope to her chest tightly. "No, but…" she glanced at Elena out of the corner of her eye, "he, can't."

"My brother isn't coming back," Stefan said sadly. "He's gone." He got up and stalked from the room, they heard the front door slam behind him and then he was gone.

Elena took a deep breath and then she burst into tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered waving her hand in apology before getting up and running from the room.

"Elena!" yelled Jeremy, getting up and rushing up stairs after his sister.

Rebekah sighed miserably. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"It's not your fault," Matt said slowly. "We've all been dealing with a lot this last week."

"Is there another witch you know who would help?" she asked.

"I suppose we could ask Liv," Matt admitted. "She's still around. Not sure she'll be willing to help us though."

"She'll help," Caroline said, convinced.

"What makes you so sure?" Alaric said, speaking up for the first time. The old History teacher had been unusually silent through the entire conversation. He hadn't been himself since coming back as an Original vampire. He was finding it hard to adjust, and only just managing to keep himself from falling off the wagon.

"She's just a baby," Caroline said. "She'll help."

. . .

They sat and chatted quietly as Matt called Liv and talked to her. It didn't take long to convince the Witch to help. Caroline was right, she was willing to help for Hope's sake. Matt again relayed directions to the cabin, before he thanked her and hung up the phone.

Hope started to fuss and grumble, she waved her arms around and the little squeal of displeasure turned into a loud cry, a stench rose from the baby that had Rebekah wrinkle her nose in displeasure. Alaric, Caroline and Tyler, whose ears more sensitive, all winced in pain as the baby's high pitched cry vibrated through the house.

Tyler growled and covered his hands with his ears. "Make it stop!" he howled.

Rebekah chuckled a laugh, "Is there a room I can use to change her?" she asked.

"I'll show you," Caroline said, getting up and beckoning Rebekah to follow her. Rebekah picked up the nappy bag and following the other vampire upstairs. Elena and Jeremy were sitting on the bed of the first bedroom. Jeremy had his arms around his sister as she cried into his shoulder. They both looked up as she passed.

Caroline led her past the bathroom, and toilet to the second spare bedroom, which had a large double bed, and two bedside tables.

Rebekah walked into the room, unshouldered the bag and placed it on the bed, before lifting the crying baby and placing her in the middle of the bed. "Sshh, its ok," she said soothingly, "let's get this bottom changed, and then you'll feel much better. Caroline leaned against the wall, a smirk on her face as she watched Rebekah with the baby. She pulled a change-cloth from her bag and put it under her bottom, before starting to undo the buttons of her onesie.

"You're a natural at this," Caroline said, surprised.

Rebekah looked over her shoulder and smiled. "It's easy once you get the hang of it, she's pretty good most of the time, if she cries I normally know why."

"Do you like taking care of her?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"But what?"

"I shouldn't be the one doing this. Hayley should be, I can't imagine what's she's going through at this moment. Not being able to hold her, having to pretend to the world that her baby died rather than her being on the run from her crazy ass witch of a grandmother."

"Yeah, that's gotta suck." Caroline bit her lip and watched as Rebekah quickly and efficiently cleaned and changed the baby before dressing her again. "Do you ever feel like you're missing out?" she asked quickly.

Rebekah looked at her again, a frown on her face. "On what?" she asked, packing the stuff back into her bag.

"Oh having children."

Rebekah paused as she lifted Hope into her arms. "All the time."

The two vampire's fell silent for a moment. Hope settled down. "I heard about you and my brother," Rebekah said conversationally, keeping her voice low enough that the others downstairs wouldn't hear her.

Caroline gave a start. "Oh," she whispered.

"My brother is not an easy man to like," the older Vampire said slowly, "let alone love."

"I don't…"

"I know." She said quickly. "He doesn't love you either. I don't think he's loved anyone in a very, very long time, not until this little girl was born." She looked down and smiled at the baby in her arms.

"He is intrigued by you though, you challenge him, and he likes that," she looked Caroline in the eye. "The one thing Vampires have on their side is time, he's given you that. Live the life you want Caroline, and when the time is right be intriguing." She smiled and turned, heading back down the stairs. Leaving Caroline speechless.

Jeremy and Elena headed down the stairs with her. Elena was no longer crying, she even managed a smile.

Rebekah descended the stairs, if Caroline could help her brother, then she was more than willing to push the new vampire in that direction. Though she knew it probably wouldn't be for many years to come. Caroline was young, she still clung to her human existence, while her mother was still alive, she didn't think Caroline would give into the darker aspects of vampire life. But she wasn't getting any younger, and neither was her brother.

It might seem strange to everyone else that Rebekah was encouraging the relationship between Klaus and Caroline and not the mother of his child – Hayley – but despite their connection she knew Hayley wasn't the woman for Klaus. Though she hoped that one day they could at least get to some compromise, if only for Hope's sake.

Everyone looked up as she walked into the living room. "It's ok, crisis averted," she said with a laugh.

. . .

A few hours later Liv arrived on the front doorstep. She wasn't happy, but like Caroline had said she was willing to help. Rebekah placed Hope down on the ground inside a circle of candles and stepped back, sitting down on the ground and folding her hands in her lap nervously. She wasn't happy about this, trusting a Witch she didn't even know, but this was her only option.

"Don't worry," Liv said quietly, picking up a bowl with crushed salt and sage and started to sprinkle it in a circle around the baby. "I know what I'm doing."

They all gathered around silently as Liv completed the spell ritual and started to chant. The Latin words filling the air with power. Suddenly all the candles in the circle went out and Hope gave a soft cry.

Liv sat back on her heels, opened her eyes and smiled. "It is done, the spell is finished. She will be hidden from those people who wish to see her harmed."

"Thank you. Oh, thank you so much." Rebekah said desperately. Gathering Hope back into her arms, and hugging her tightly.

"I will remember this," Rebekah said quietly, "I will make sure my brother knows too."

Liv frowned in confusion.

Before she could do anything Rebekah had moved. Leaning forward she grabbed the Witches chin in her hands and looked deep into her eyes. "Forget. Forget me, forget Hope. Forget you did a spell tonight. You got lost in the woods, and spent the night in your car. Go outside now and get in your car. Drive until you reach the highway and then pull over and sleep."

Liv packed up her supplies, and then headed towards the door, her face blank. The others stood silently until Liv had gotten in her car.

"Why did you do that?" Matt snapped, "I thought you were better than that."

"Because she had to," Caroline said sadly. "Now I expect she'll do the same to us."

Rebekah turned her head and sighed. 'I'm sorry, I can't risk it. Her life depends on it," she said.

One by one she compelled the others to forget.

When she was satisfied that everyone had been suitably compelled she walked to the car. She settled Hope in the backseat, tucking a blanket around her, and making sure she was comfortable.

Rebekah smiled and closed the door quietly before getting into the driver's seat and starting the car.

This baby was the most important part in her life right now. She was their salvation, their hope for the future. She was beautiful, and at one point would be the best thing that had ever happened to this family.

It was imperative that she could keep her safe.

So that's what she would do, even if it meant she would have to run for the rest of her life.

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**. . .**

**The End**

**A/N: Hope you all liked it. I'm not normally one for writing BabyFic's, but I wanted to explore the relationship between Rebekah and her niece.  
Until next story,**

Ashes


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